United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southwestern Region April 2015 Biological Assessment for the Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Cochise, Graham, Pima, Pinal, and Santa Cruz Counties, Arizona and Hidalgo County, New Mexico Prepared By: Janet Moser Biologist, TEAMS Enterprise Approved By: Joshua D. Taiz District Biologist, Santa Catalina Ranger District Coronado National Forest [1] EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A Land and Resource Management Plan is being proposed for the Coronado National Forest. This biological assessment considers the potential effects of the proposed Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) (Preferred Alternative) on a total of twenty-seven species; this includes twenty-one listed species, four candidate species, and two species that have been extirpated but are either close and/or have habitat within the boundary of CNF. The proposed action may affect, likely to adversely affect twenty listed species that include the Jaguar, Mount Graham red squirrel, Ocelot, Lesser long-nosed bat, Mexican long-nosed bat, Mexican spotted owl, Western yellow-billed cuckoo, Sonoran tiger salamander, Chiricahua leopard frog, Northern Mexican gartersnake, New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Gila chub, Yaqui chub, Gila topminnow, Gila trout, Apache trout, Sonora chub, loach minnow, spikedace, Huachuca water umbel and Pima pineapple cactus; and may affect, not likely to adversely affect one listed species: Canelo Hill’s ladies-tresses. For the extirpated Mexican gray wolf within the proposed 10j area and Northern Aplomado falcon a determination of not likely to jeopardize was made.. For the five Candidate species considered in the BA a determination of may affect, likely to adversely affect was made. The five Candidate species are the Arizona treefrog (Huachuca/Canelo DPS), Sonoran desert tortoise; roundtail chub, Stephan's heterelmis riffle beetle, and Huachuca springsnail. Critical Habitat: The proposed action may affect, likely to adversely affect critical habitat for the Jaguar, Mount Graham red squirrel, Mexican spotted owl, Chiricahua leopard frog, Gila chub, and Sonora chub, loach minnow, spikedace and Huachuca water umbel. If proposed critical habitat becomes designated for the Western yellow-billed cuckoo, the proposed action may affect, likely to adversely affect critical habitat. If proposed critical habitat becomes designated for the Northern Mexican gartersnake, the proposed action may affect, likely to adversely affect critical habitat. [2] Table 1. Federally listed, and candidate species and designated or proposed critical habitats addressed in this BA Common Name Scientific Federal Determination Name Status Mammals Jaguar Panthera onca Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Jaguar critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Tamiasciurus Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Mount Graham red hudsonicus squirrel grahamensis Mount Graham red squirrel critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Leopardus Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Ocelot pardalis Lesser long-nosed Leptonycteris Endangered May affect, not likely to adversely affect bat yerbabuenae Mexican long- Leptonycteris Endangered May affect, not likely to adversely affect nosed bat nivalis Canis lupus Not likely to jeopardize within proposed 10(j) Mexican gray wolf Extirpated baileyi area. Birds Strix May affect, likely to adversely affect Mexican spotted occidentalis Threatened owl lucida Mexican spotted owl critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Coccyzus May affect, likely to adversely affect Western yellow- americanus Threatened billed cuckoo occidentalis Western yellow-billed cuckoo proposed critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Non-essential Not likely to jeopardize Northern Falco femoralis experimental Aplomado falcon septentrionalis in AZ and NM Amphibians/Reptiles Ambystoma May affect, likely to adversely affect Sonoran tiger mavortium Endangered salamander stebbinsi [3] Arizona treefrog (If listed) May affect, likely to adversely affect Hyla (Huachuca/Canelo Candidate wrightorum DPS) Chiricahua leopard Lithobates May affect, likely to adversely affect Threatened frog chiricahuensis Chiricahua leopard frog critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Northern Mexican Thamnophis May affect, likely to adversely affect Threatened gartersnake eques megalops Northern Mexican gartersnake proposed critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Crotalus May affect, likely to adversely affect New Mexico ridge- willardi Threatened nosed rattlesnake obscurus Sonoran Desert Gopherus (If listed) May affect, likely to adversely affect Candidate tortoise morafkai Fish Gila chub Gila intermedia Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Gila chub critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Yaqui chub Gila purpurea Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Poeciliopsis Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Gila topminnow occidentalis Oncorhynchus Threatened May affect, likely to adversely affect Gila trout gilae Oncorhynchus Threatened May affect, likely to adversely affect Apache trout apache Spikedace Meda fulgida Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Spikedace critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Loach minnow Tiaroga cobitis Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Loach minnow critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Sonora chub Gila ditaenia Threatened May affect, likely to adversely affect Sonora chub critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Roundtail chub Gila robusta Candidate (If listed) May affect, likely to adversely affect Invertebrates Stephan's (If listed) May affect, likely to adversely affect Heterelmis heterelmis riffle Candidate stephani beetle [4] Huachuca Pyrgulopsis (If listed) May affect, likely to adversely affect Candidate springsnail thompsoni Plants Canelo Hills Spiranthes Endangered May affect, not likely to adversely affect ladies'-tresses delitescens Lilaeopsis May affect, likely to adversely affect Huachuca water schaffneriana Endangered umbel var. recurva Huachuca water umbel critical habitat May affect, likely to adversely affect Coryphantha Endangered May affect, likely to adversely affect Pima pineapple scheeri var. cactus robustispina List of Acronyms ADEQ – Arizona Department of Environmental Quality AZGFD – Arizona Game and Fish Department BA – Biological assessment BLM – Bureau of Land Management BMPs – Best management practices BO – Biological opinion BO/CO – Biological opinion/Conference opinion CH - Critical habitat ESA – Endangered Species Act LRMP – Land and resource management plan MVUM – Motor vehicle use map NF – National forest NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act NFMA – National Forest Management Act NFS – National Forest System OHV – Off-highway vehicle PAC – Protected activity center PCE – Primary constituent element PNVT – Potential natural vegetation type SWWF – Southwestern willow flycatcher T&Cs – Terms and conditions USFS – U.S. Forest Service USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service WSR – Wild and scenic river WUI – Wildland-Urban Interface and Landscape-scale Fire [5] TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Species List Consultation History o Consultation History o Regulatory Framework . Program Management Direction Existing Condition o Geographic Ecosystem Management Areas (EMA’s) . Chiricahua . Dragoon . Peloncillo . Santa Rita . Tumacacori . Huachuca . Whetstone . Galiuro . Pinaleño . Santa Teresa . Winchester . Santa Catalina o Vegetation (PNVT) . Desert Communities . Grasslands . Interior Chaparral . Madrean Encinal Woodland . Madrean Pine-Oak Woodland . Ponderosa Pine-Evergreen Shrub . Dry Mixed Conifer Forests . Wet Mixed Conifer Forests . Spruce-Fir Forests . Montane Meadows . Wetlands . Riparian Areas o Biophysical Features . Aquatic Resources Natural Waters Constructed Waters o Climate Change Proposed Action [6] o Programs Species Evaluations Mammals Jaguar, Ocelot, and Mexican gray wolf Mount Graham red squirrel Lesser long-nosed bat and Mexican long-nosed bat Birds Mexican spotted owl Western yellow-billed cuckoo Northern Aplomado falcon Amphibians/Reptiles Sonoran tiger salamander, Arizona treefrog (Huachuca/Canelo DPS), and Chiricahua leopard frog, and Northern Mexican gartersnake New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake, and Sonoran Desert tortoise Fish Gila Chub, Yaqui chub, Gila topminnow, Gila trout, Apache trout, Spikedace, Loach minnow, Sonora chub, and Roundtail chub. Invertebrates Stephan's heterelmis riffle beetle and Huachuca springsnail Plants Canelo Hills ladies'-tresses, Huachuca water umbel, and Pima pineapple cactus Literature Cited Appendix A: All CNFs Plan Components Appendix B: Definitions [7] INTRODUCTION The proposed action (preferred alternative) analyzed in this BA is the implementation of the management direction provided in a revised LRMP. The proposed LRMP provides Forest-level direction to meet the Forest Service’s mission for program management activities. It is largely strategic in nature, but does address types of activities to be conducted on the Forest. The proposed LRMP does not specifically authorize individual projects or activities. Site-specific actions will be subject to future and separate ESA section 7(a) (2) consultations. In this BA, the Forest is consulting on the LRMP’s program administration (effects of recreation, engineering, range management, fire management, etc.), as well as “plan